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About four years ago I developed a description of a mythical country in the Balkans by the name of Vulgaria. In terms of modeling it gave me an outlet for my uninhibited imagination. I told some friends about it and my friend David Thompson and I started making our own versions of the Vulgarian three engine float P-38. I sent David half of an extra Revell 1/32 scale P-38 kit and he sent me a pair of floats. We both started the project but life got in the way. David had to devote his efforts to making kits to augment his income and I went astray trying to take roads not taken in my youth. As you know David passed away recently and now I am going to finish my plane. I may also do his version. Another idea I had was the 1/32 float F-86 biplane.

I am now working on both of these planes.

Over the past few years other modelers in other forums have had ideas for Vulgarian planes and started their own projects. They too have stalled.

Now, as to an understanding of what this project is all about I will have to give you all a brief introduction to the Hidden Country called Vulgaria.

Geographically, Vulgaria is a hidden Bulgarian country which consists of many tall mountains and craggy hills surrounding various hidden valleys, deep mountain lakes, and heavily wooded forests. The topography is so contorted that the phrase, "You cant get there from here." was created in Vulgaria. However, the valleys are all connected through hidden natural caves and tunnels under the hills. Over the years they have been enhanced by the peoples who live there so travel, for a Vulgarian, is no problem. Since outsiders know nothing about these passageways they always get hopelessly lost.

Politically and ethnically, Vulgaria is a number of enclaves loosely combined into one governmental entity. Over the ages all the neighboring countries at one time or another sent invading armies to conquer Vulgaria and make it theirs. All of these armies have invaded Vulgaria but none have returned. They all got so lost that they couldn’t even find their way out. So eventually they learned to appreciate the beauty of the surroundings and the fertility of the soil; and, of course, the comeliness and agreeability of the native ladies in the locale, and they ended up settling down and setting up their own little communities. They were eventually contacted by representatives of the other valleys peoples and were invited to join the government as an enclave, a Swiss-like canton. That is why the country is made up of so many different ethnic groups.

The rest of the population came from the many different groups of people who escaped their oppressors in their own countries by stumbling into Vulgaria and simply getting lost in one of its fertile valleys. This includes soldiers, sailors and especially airmen who ended up wandering by, floating in and parachuting or crash landing in Vulgaria during the outside wars which bypassed Vulgaria. There were many such wars over the ages so there were many military newcomers in this manner. Also there are many highly talented and educated immigrants who were hired, enticed, lured, bribed or just plain abducted and brought to Vulgaria. Over the centuries Vulgarians have thus acquired many engineers, scientists and technicians from the surrounding warring powers and put them to work in Vulgarian universities, laboratories, factories and foundries. Working and living conditions were always so good in Vulgaria that most of these temporary workers elected to stay, settle down and raise their families in Vulgaria. When ever Vulgarian industry needed a specialist one of these methods were tried to get them. It almost always worked. The same applied to doctors, educators, philosophers and intellectuals of all types.

The airplanes, as well as other armaments are influenced by the physical environment. In Vulgaria there were some long airfields, disguised as meadows and farms, but not many. There are many more shorter fields so biplanes, tri-planes, quadriplanes, etc. , autogiros and early helicopters were also found to be useful to get off the ground in such little space. There are many lakes up there in the mountains so the Vulgarians found much use for float planes and flying boats.

Another reason for the great variety of types and styles of airplanes, etc. is due to the fact that not only did they take over any plane that landed, accidentally or not, in their territory but also other countries would give them entire squadrons, trying to get some influence and favors in the country.

Industry: there is not too much in the way of heavy industry in Vulgaria. There is enough to produce first rate airplanes, tanks, cars, trucks, ships, railroads, etc but not in any great quantity. Thus a lot of the armaments in the Vulgarian arsenals have been either stolen, or donated by stronger powers as airplanes of the warring powers made emergency landings in neutral Vulgaria and were interred - permanently.

Vulgaria’s natural barriers meant that they really did not need much of a standing army, navy or air force. But they did need some, so they would welcome any inventor or designer or crackpot who was unable to find backing in his own country. That is one reason why they have so many strange aircraft, tanks, ships, trains, vehicles and undescribables in their arsenal. Also each ethnic group had their own ideas of technology and militaria, Thus the great variety of armaments in that fair country.

In later essays I will describe the colors and insignia of Vulgaria.

So go forth one and all modelers and enjoy creating the aircraft, tanks, ships, armaments and all the technology of Vulgaria.

Vulgaria is for the most part a grouping of different ethnic groups who settled in the particular valley they "conquered". Each tries to retain their own ethnic identity. Although each enclave considers themselves as part of the loosely confederated country of Vulgaria they try to do things their own way. Thus each enclave developed their own variation of the national insignia, which were placed on airplanes, ships and military vehicles and tanks.

Insignia: In all cases this insignia is the capital letter V. But, the V has appeared in many styles and fonts and sizes.

The color of the V is almost always a Dark Purple with or without a white outline, sometimes on a white or light yellow background band. The Purple was for royalty as every person in the land claimed relationship with the royal house. Even the most recent immigrant claims some sort of blood link with the royal line. It is a rather egalitarian society. Of course, there never was a royal line. It exists only in the media, which describes the goings on as if the whole thing were real. It is the national fiction that there is one, as many people felt such a thing is necessary. Thus the people have their royals to fuss over, but at no cost to the treasury whatsoever.

I prefer a rather simple script V, which I will print up on decal paper and supply to whomever wants some. Give me a week or two to get the paper and start printing. But there are many variations to the insignia. I have seen naval aircraft where the V had a shadow, like US Navy ship numbers. I have seen rather straight and severe V's, some with a white outline, some like the German cross of WW2 with broken line outline. The styles range from severe to very fancy. This has never been a problem for native Vulgarians as they are familiar with all forms of the national insignia. The diversity of insignia style has, on occasion, confused the invading hordes which gave the Vulgarian fighters an edge as they were thus able to attack first and score the kills.

The purple V is located in the standard 6 places on an aircraft. The nose and vertical tail is for both unit and individual insignia, which are quite imaginative. However, many units put their insignia on the upper right and lower left wings in place of the V. The horizontal tail also has had unit or individual insignia painted on. The "flying circus" style was most prevalent in WW1, when Vulgaria fought off everybody.

This diversity also applies to the color schemes of the airplanes, tanks and ships. The Vulgarians try to be creative with the colors and are always experimenting with new types of camouflage. Even school children have yearly contests to design the new schemes for the aircraft and vehicles. Paint supplies consist of whatever is handy, inexpensive, or recently stolen from the stocks of the surrounding countries. Like the Israeli's did in 1947-8, ordinary house paint was used when nothing else was available.

Essentially, Vulgaria means freedom of expression.

Go forth and enjoy!

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Sign me up for some Vulgarian decals as I have some aircraft in progress that would look cool in the Vulgarian livery...i'm also thinking I may have a boat or two that could be incorporated in the vulgar boatman scheme of things.....

Cheers,

ggc

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Sign me up for some Vulgarian decals as I have some aircraft in progress that would look cool in the Vulgarian livery...i'm also thinking I may have a boat or two that could be incorporated in the vulgar boatman scheme of things.....

Cheers,

ggc

You are first on my list.

Stephen

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Sign me up for some Vulgarian decals as I have some aircraft in progress that would look cool in the Vulgarian livery...i'm also thinking I may have a boat or two that could be incorporated in the vulgar boatman scheme of things.....

Cheers,

ggc

Fear Naught, Brave one!

I just received a quantity of decal paper for my printer.

I will now print us sheets of the V's for Vulgaria. I may also make up sets of numbers. I'll do it in various sizes for different models.

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Stephen: How is the Vulgarian decal printing effort...???I have a cool light observation a/c that would add to the "vulgar" habit of spying on potential adversaries....Tis a bi-plane model that has a working motor...

tks,

ggc

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Stephen: How is the Vulgarian decal printing effort...???I have a cool light observation a/c that would add to the "vulgar" habit of spying on potential adversaries....Tis a bi-plane model that has a working motor...

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Here is the initial installment on the comic Ni-11 portrayed as a WWI era, VULGARIAN a/c. This kit was mfg. by Revell in the 1970's and was very similar to the Lucky Pierre Ni-11 that was a companion to the Funfdecker German piece. This kit as originally built[1981] had a electric motor/battery setup with an intergral hook so that you could hang it from the ceiling and it would fly in circles. I hung it in my son's bedroom and eventually the battery leaked so I tossed it into (sans battery) the scrap box. The scale is something in the 1/24 or larger range...I'm going to s/b an MG for the Ni-ll using the 1/28 Revell SPAD item as a pattern...since it is reported that the "Vulgarian's" were somewhat eclectic in thereir cammo schemes this bird will be colorful and hopefully an eye-catcher...

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Vulgarian Ni-11 update: I've been working on this bird over the T-giving holiday. I'm planning on adding some lozenge camo on the upper surfaces, s/b cowl mounted mg, some wing rigging, and eventually some "VULGARIAN" markings...